Why in news?
- The Forest Department identified 308 hectares of revenue land for inclusion in the Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) as recommended by the National Board for Wildlife.
- The inclusion is for compensating the land being diverted for setting up Missile Test Launch Facility by the DRDO in Nagayalanka mandal in Krishna District.
About the sanctuary:
- Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary and estuary located in the coastal plain of Krishna delta, spread across Krishna and Guntur districts of Andhra Pradesh.
- It harbors vast tracts of pristine mangrove forests.
- The estuary of the Krishna River passes through the sanctuary.
- This region potentially holds one of the most significant populations of fishing cats(IUCN status – endangered) in the world.